The Australian Government says a new partnership with Amazon Web Services will enhance national security.

The government has announced a new strategic partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) that will see it invest at least $2 billion over the next decade.

The funding is for a Top Secret (TS) Cloud for the Australian Government, to be completed in collaboration with the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) and AWS.

This partnership aims to establish a sovereign TS Cloud within Australia, designed to provide resilient ICT services. 

The TS Cloud will securely host Australia’s most sensitive information, using advanced technologies including artificial intelligence and machine learning to support military operations and improve interoperability with the United States. 

The project is a component of the 2024 National Defence Strategy and is part of a broader investment plan, including $15-20 billion to enhance Defence’s cyber capabilities and $8.5-11 billion for enterprise data and ICT enhancements by 2033-34.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles says the government must urgently enhance cyber capabilities.

“The Albanese Government is enhancing Defence’s cyber capabilities as a matter of priority under the National Defence Strategy by investing at least $2 billion to establish and operate a Top Secret Cloud platform which is central to achieving this objective,” he said. 

AWS says it plans to engage local companies in designing and building the TS Cloud, driving innovation and job creation in sectors such as cybersecurity, data analytics, and cloud computing.